Thursday, October 25, 2007

Gran Turismo Wheel: Logitech's GT25



Trying to race like your really on the track? Then you need to hear about this, Logitech's GT25. The wheel features 900-degree rotation, force feedback, a six-speed manual gearstick and a clutch pedal.

The price? Japanese PLAYSTATION 3 owners can get one for ¥37800. Converted into US Dollars would be around say $330. If your willing to drop the cash for this when it arrives here, then you really need to love that Gran Turismo.

[Via IGN]

Soul Calibur IV: New Screens



Namco Bandai has recently released some new screenshots of Soul Calibur IV, showing some great new fighting scenes. View them at the link below.

[View: SCIV Screens]

Frontlines Developer Talks the PLAYSTATION 3 Delay



Gamespot's recent Q&A with the Frontlines: Fuel of War's senior producer, Joe Halper, reveals that "the Unreal Engine has some challenges with the PLAYSTATION 3--you'll see with other developers--it's kind of a little late in the game with Epic, which is unfortunate." His comments were made before the announcement of the PLAYSTATION 3 delay, but he later illustrates that every platform has its challenges.

He tells Gamespot that development on the Xbox 360 was harder due to the 32-person multiplayer goal and that the PLAYSTATION 3's smaller available memory makes it challenging to develop for. Plus, SIXAXIS controls are still being balanced, adding an extra layer of development difficulty.

Don't take this as news, we should be use to it by now.

[Via Kotaku AU]

Copy Your Eye of Judgment Cards



Kotaku reports that The Eye of Judgment cards are indeed copyable. You can even register them with your online deck. Even the lowest quality of printouts can be scanned and summoned, such as the link above.

Want to give it a try, go ahead, but don't go cheating online.

[Via Kotaku]

Secret Agent: The Tools of Destruction

Still in the middle of playing Insomniac's recently released (sort of) Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction? Well, pause it for a second. Did you forget that the sidekick of Ratchet has his own title coming up soon for the PLAYSTATION Portable in 2008?

High Impact Games and Insomniac are working on this title, Secret Agent Clank.

According to Creative Director Brian Allgeier of Insomniac Games, Ratchet & Clank will be getting connected to it's PSP counter-part upon it's release.

"There are some less apparent bullet points to note about Tools of Destruction. It will connect to the 2008 PSP spinoff Secret Agent Clank in some secret, undisclosed way".
What is this undisclosed way, we will just have to wait and see.

[Via QJ.NET]

UT3: The Game Is Over, Coming to PLAYSTATION 3 November 2007, Maybe



In the latest FOX report titled "Midway Reveals Games for the Season", they show the upcoming games from Midway coming to consoles, including games like BlackSite: Area 51, John Woo's Stranglehold, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am (PS2). An interesting bit of the article states:
""Unreal Tournament 3" will be out for the PS3 and PC in November. An Xbox 360 version will follow early next year."
I guess if FOX reported it, then it's news right? Unreal Tournament is coming out for the PLAYSTATION 3 this November.

[Via FOXNews]

The Eye of Judgment Backordered At GameStop

Trying to get into the hype that is The Eye of Judgment? Can't find it at your local store? Your not alone. PS3Tag admin is under the same situation:

"I just got of the phone with a local Chicago Gamestop Eye Of Judgement .. sold out. Called 4 others before that because well I didn't pre-order it because that one time I thought would be retarded to pre-order a game .. oh well. I make my way over to the GameStop Web site to order it ... Back-ordered.

Amazon now tells me I have to wait until the 27th for it to be in stock.

Game Crazy reaffirmed the reason they are going bankrupt with the reply "I dont even know what that is."."
Checking to see how crazy this shortage was, I called up my friend who happens to be manager of my local GameStop. They also have no Eye of Judgments in. Guess you will have to wait.

[Via PS3Tag]

US PLAYSTATION Store Update: October 25, 2007


The new PLAYSTATION Store update for the US is out today. Here is what we received today:
PSone Classics
  • Spyro The Dragon ($5.99)
Applications
  • EyeCreate (free)
Add-Ons
  • Ninja Gaiden Sigma Rachel Master Add-On ($2.99)
  • Piyotama Halloween Skin (free)
  • Spider-Man 3™: New Goblin Add-on Game Content is now $2.99
Game Videos
  • Time Crisis 4 trailer
  • Bionic Commando trailer
  • Theatrical trailer
  • The Water Horse
Blu-Ray Trailers
  • Reign Over Me
  • AC/DC Live At Donington
Wallpaper
  • 3 Eye of Judgment Wallpapers (free)
Crappy update if you ask me, no demos, no good videos, no nothing. I don't know about you, but the PLAYSTATION Store is a wasteland for me till next Thursday.

PLAYSTATION Store Worldwide

Warhawk Soundtrack On iTunes Store


In for the music of Warhawk, well good news today.

SCEA has announced that this soundtrack, featuring 21 original tracks from Warhawk, is now available for download at the iTunes music store. The official released statement reads as follows:

"Composed by Christopher Lennertz and Timothy Michael Wynn, this musical masterpiece allows gamers to reminisce about their experiences in the non-stop, heart-pounding, adrenaline pumping action of Warhawk and will also get them amped for their next big match."

If you want to get the Warhawk beat in your head, go over to the iTunes music store and search Warhawk.

Assassin's Creed Is Gold Robbed



Ubisoft has finalized Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360 PLAYSTATION 3 for mass printing and a November 13th, 2007 release.

There was a rumor earlier today that this game, along with HAZE may have been delayed. But now that it's gold, it's definitely coming to us on it's release. Now we just need some confirmation of HAZE's gold status.

[Via Kotaku]

PSM3: Issue 94 Reviews

Issue 94 of The PLAYSTATION 3 Magazine (PSM3) has went on sale today, and already we have the reviews:

ARMY OF TWO. 71% & 85%
Single player mode: The AI's passable, but you cant appreciate this game in full with a bot. 71%
Two player mode: You couldn't design AI that matches the feeling of playing ARMY Of Two with another man. 85%

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008. 86%
Overall: A backward step in some ways. But it's still PES, and remains horrifyingly addictive.

FIFA 08. 63%
Overall: Impressive online modes and good graphics - but slow, predictable and unsatisfying. Shame.

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2008. 79%
Overall: Still fun and still addictive, but the new grapple styles add little and the old flaws remain.

Clive Barker's Jericho. 65%
Overall: A handful of original ideas lost in a thick mist of generic design, and lame scares. Oh, well.

Eye Of Judgement. 79%
Overall: A gimmick, yes, but a good one. While it lasts it's fun, but it needs more game modes.

Tony Hawk's Proving Ground. 85%
Overall: A bumper package with some great new ideas, but rough around certain edges.

Juided 2: Hot Import Nights. 80%
Overall: Suprisingly good fun. A tad easy, but with loads of variety.

Conan. 45%
Overall: Every slasher on PS3 is better than this, even Genji. A ropey God Of War tribute act.

Bladestorm: The 100 Year War. 61%
Overall: A so-so mix of tactics and chaotic combat.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. 49%
EyeCreate. 56%
All-Pro Football 2K8. 74%
LocoRoco Buu Buu Cocoreccho. 56%
Pixel Junk Racers. 80%
What I don't understand is how was ARMY OF TWO delayed if PSM3 already obtained the full version?

[Via GameTrailers]

NFL Tour Runs Faster on Xbox 360 Than PLAYSTATION 3?



Last week, Electronic Arts showed the new NFL title, NFL Tour for the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 at the E for All 2007 expo in L.A. The Xbox 360 had a faster frame rate and better animation than the PLAYSTATION 3 version at the show.

Both versions of the upcoming arcade football title were displayed side-by-side at E for All. The Xbox 360 version held a faster frame rate at 60 frames per second. Colors were vibrant and animations were solid. (Video here)

The PLAYSTATION 3 version held at 30 frames per second, a respectable standard, but half the rate of the rival version. Additionally, the title looked less complete than the Xbox 360 build and yielded apparent collision and animation issues. (Video here)

EA in Aug. released Madden NFL 08 to the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 to similar observations - the Xbox 360 version is 60 frames per second and the PS3 version is 30 frames per second.

While recent comparisons may leave an impression of a weaker PLAYSTATION 3 hardware, Sony Corp.'s basketball offering NBA 08 runs at a top 60 frames per second in full 1080p high-definition resolution.

Additionally, a developer for Activision Inc.'s Call of Duty 4 told message board readers in Aug. that the PLAYSTATION 3 version will run at 60 frames per second with full anti-aliasing like the Xbox 360 counterpart.

Peter Moore stated a while back that all PLAYSTATION 3 games from them will run at 60fps from then on. Did Peter lie?

[Via Punch Jump]

HAZE: Lost In Haze Interview



Free Radical, British developers of HAZE, know their way around the gaming table. Whether it was their creation of Golden Eye when they were back on Rare, or their own IP of the TimeSplitters series, they certainly can't be called amateurs. Now, with HAZE on the horizon, Kiziko thought they'd catch up with Free Radical for an interview.

Read the interview at the link.

[Read: Lost In Haze Interview]

PES 2008: Konami Fighting Lag & Framerate Issues

Konami is suffering criticism from gamers who say the PS3 version of the game suffers from frame rate issues and slowdown.

Earlier today Konami apologised for the quality of online play with an online notification displayed when gamers enter the PES 2008 lobby. It revealed that the publisher has uncovered "issues which can affect the online gameplay quality of PES 2008" and is working "full strength to find a solution as quickly as possible".

Pro-G gave Konami's UK office a call posing as a customer to ask what the publisher would be doing to combat the problems. They were told that a patch was being worked on that would not only attempt to improve offline play but also online play. However, Konami does not have a timeframe on when that patch will be released.

It remains unclear how PES fans who are not connected to the Internet will be able to improve the quality of their game experience, however.

They are also working on a fix for the online lag.

[Via Pro-G]

EU PLAYSTATION Store Update: October 25, 2007


Today is Thursday and that means a Store update, Europe has received a fair amount of content this Thursday. Still no Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 demo though.

Games

  • Aqua Vita (£1.99 / €2,99) EyeCreate (free)
  • Operation Creature Feature (£3.49 / €4,99)
  • PixelJunk Racers (£4.99 / €7,99)
  • The Trials of Topoq (£3.49 / €4,99)

Demos

  • Tony Hawk's Proving Ground demo
  • Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction demo

Content

  • Folklore kidnapped pack (£1.49 / €1,99)
  • MotorStorm Halloween livery (free)

Games Videos

  • Toy Home (trailer)
  • Midnight Club LA (trailer)
  • Metal Gear Online (TGS 2007)
  • The Eye of Judgment (introduction)


Movie Trailers

  • Courage Under Fire (Blu-ray)
  • Beowulf
  • Stardust
[Via WWW]

Assassin's Creed & HAZE Delayed?



Ubisoft is to delay four games until next year, possibly including heavyweights Haze, Rayman Raving Rabbids and Assassin’s Creed, the French publisher has announced.

In a financial report put out by Ubisoft, the company announced that, “As a result of the positive trends observed during the first half of the year as well as the positive outlook for the third quarter, Ubisoft has decided to postpone the release of certain games”.

The titles in question weren’t confirmed, but the report went on to state that, “Six franchises are now scheduled for release in 2007-08 (Brothers in Arms, Far Cry, Rayman Raving Rabbids, The Settlers, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell and an unannounced franchise), compared with the previously announced seven.”

The report then added: “Three new brands are now scheduled for release in 2007-08 (Assassin's Creed, Haze, Tom Clancy's End War), compared with the previously announced six ... the four games concerned will now strengthen Fiscal 2008-09”.

Fiscal 2007-2008 ends on 31 March 2008.

Currently, the games that are delayed are not announced. It will probably not be HAZE on the fact that a demo was recently announced for the store.

[Via 360-Gamer]

Fallout 3 Demo Not Looking So Bright

Matt Grandstaff, Bethesda Community Manager, writes on the Fallout forums that it is nice when you get a demo, but as a gamer, he don't always expects one:

"One thing to consider about demos though. For certain kinds of games, I'd say its not as easy to just break off a piece, and say, here's the demo. Sure you can take a game of Madden, let someone choose between two teams, and then make it one quarter. Or as of yesterday, just release a few songs for Guitar Hero III.

For a game like Fallout (or Oblivion), there's a lot of details that have to go into it since the game plays as a sandbox... where do you cut the user off. You might bring up that we have a playable demo that we've shown at events, but from the previews you read, you'll notice that the G.O.A.T exam is never taken, we never decided to save Megaton instead of blowing it up, and so on. Part of the reason for this is that for the purpose of showing the game, they didn't need to flesh out those details.

If we were doing a demo, there'd be a lot of time spent on deciding where a user could go, what quests to include, etc. For Fallout 3, we'd rather commit the time that can be used for delivering a demo into spending more time working on the final product."
[Via Bethsoft]

Bizarre Talks The Club's Story & Gameplay



SEGA and Bizarre Creations' The Club may look like your normal gangster fare, but after design manager Nick Davies went deeper into what the video game has to offer, it's difficult not to be excited about the next title from the makers of Project Gotham Racing and Geometry Wars.

According to Davies, the developers laid the foundation of The Club in its gameplay. Before Bizarre Creations bothered to build the characters and their backgrounds, the company made sure players will enjoy even without paying attention to details. The racer shooter promises not only badass drive-bys *cuts neck*, but also various game modes to make both single player and multiplayer sessions fun.

For the less skilled, driving and shooting at the same time can be intimidating. It seems like there's plenty of room for trial and error though, thanks to what Davies referred to as "reboot racing." He said:
"If you mess up 30 minutes into a level, you don’t want to have to start it all over again, which is why we’ve made all of our levels really short and intense. If you miss a bad guy, or think you’ve been a bit inaccurate, then you hit pause and restart and give it another go… it can prove to be a wonderfully addictive mechanic when done right."
Another element from The Club that keeps us on our toes is the combo system, which Davies described as something more old-school. Players who can string kills together in quick succession or frag in stylish manners will be rewarded with points, so they'll try to improve and set that steep high score. Instead of camping, those who want bragging rights will have to actively chase their prey.

[Via QJ.NET]